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The way your teeth align contributes to your bite’s performance and your smile’s appearance. However, so do the symmetry and alignment of your jaw bone, which can significantly affect factors in your oral health.
In some cases, a congenital condition such as improper jawbone growth can lead to one side of your jaw being shorter or smaller than the other. In others, a severe injury or degradation of bone can lead to similar bite complications, some of which worsen as time passes.
To address these issues, a cosmetic dental surgeon can perform jaw surgery or jaw grafting to correct your bone’s symmetry or build up its structure, depending on your specific needs.
Your jaw works by hinging and pivoting on two large, complex joints known as your temporomandibular joints (TMJs), one of each side of your face. As your jawbone opens and closes, your TMJs should move together.
If your jawbone is uneven, however, then the joints struggle to keep up with each other, ultimately leading to stress and chronic pain in your jaw and facial muscles and even bite misalignment. To keep pain and bite complications from worsening, you can correct the issue with jaw symmetry surgery at Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City.
Severe periodontal disease, a jaw injury, or tooth loss contribute to losing mass and density in your jawbone. Left unchecked, your jaw symmetry and bite’s overall function can change over time, increasing your risk of further tooth loss due to insufficient jawbone support, and affecting your candidacy for dental implant placement in the future.
Dental bone grafting, sometimes called jaw grafting surgery, strengthens the bone and provides more mass to support dental implant posts. It’s one step toward ensuring your teeth and oral tissues are healthy before receiving permanent implants to replace missing or damaged teeth. To learn more about the jaw grafting process, watch our video below.
Does jaw surgery or dental bone grafting require a hospital stay?
Most oral surgery procedures are outpatient only, so you can go home with a trusted friend or family member to recover immediately after surgery.
Do you lengthen lower jaws to improve bite alignment?
Yes. Corrective jaw surgery can include moving the bones of the upper or lower jaw, including moving them up or down or lengthening or shortening them. This type of orthognathic surgery is common during orthodontic treatment when jaws and teeth don’t align correctly without surgical intervention.
With a customized jaw surgery or grafting procedure, you can better ensure your good oral health by maintaining your jaw’s strength and symmetry. To find out if you’re a candidate for this oral procedure, schedule a consultation with our jaw surgery experts by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City at (816) 320-6638.
2101 Charlotte Street
Suite 330
Kansas City, MO 64108
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